Stakeholder perspectives on the costs and benefits of circular construction

Abstract

The construction industry significantly impacts the environment through natural resource depletion and energy consumption, leading to environmental degradation. Circular Economy (CE) material efficiency strategies-such as material reuse, design for disassembly, prefabrication, and recycling-offer promising solutions for reducing resource consumption and waste. This paper explores stakeholders' perspectives on the costs and benefits of implementing CE material efficiency strategies in the construction industry, using the 3-R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) framework. By analyzing data from 382 participants, it assesses perceptions of costs and benefits, uncovering regional differences. The findings highlight that studied European stakeholders prioritize reuse and design for disassembly, while studied non-European countries focus on offsite production and material reuse optimization. Despite these differences, both groups view waste reduction as a key benefit, due to the cost savings it provides. By highlighting regional drivers and barriers to CE adoption, this research establishes a foundation for developing targeted policies and collaborative strategies to advance CE implementation in construction worldwide.

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